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This paper attempts to examine the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in spectator sports. The relationship between these two constructs is examined, first, by a review of the literature to date and, second, by the results of almost 200 questionnaires completed by spectators at two professional basketball games in Athens, Greece. The results of the questionnaire study are examined and, in conclusion, the implications and limitations of the study are discussed. Areas for further research are also suggested.

Communication is one of the most important functions of management. Coaches of team and individual sports should know how to communicate successfully with athletes and assistants in order to maximize individual and team performance. A lack of communication means problems in coordination, cohesion and cooperation among the group. The coach, acting like the transmitter, should find the most appropriate ways to send its messages to the receivers, athletes and assistants. Effective communication between coaches and athletes in practice, before, during and after the game is a crucial factor and could affect positively or negatively team and individual performance. This research, based on review of literature and questionnaires, indicates the communication barriers among coaches and athletes, defines basic communication principles, and suggests methods of improving communication. The results and conclusions of this research are important for coaches, who coach and lead athletes and wish to have an effective and fruitful communication style.

The purpose of this research was to explore the communication barriers among coaches and players in professional sports, define the basic communication principles, and suggest methods of improving the communication process.

The sample included 24 professional coaches from four different professional team sports in Greece. All subjects were male. The research instrument was developed from a relevant review of literature that focused on main problems in communication inside small groups. There was one set – lists of five variables regarding the problems in communication (limited time, language, etc.). Coaches were asked to indicate the main communication problem.

The results of this research showed that the most important communication problems between coaches and players in professional sports are: the external factors, the limited time, the language, the ability of perception and the negative attitude. From the above‐mentioned communicational problems, the coaches considered the external factors (41.67 per cent) as the most important, especially when their teams are playing away. The factor of negative attitude was considered as a main problem only by one coach (4.16 per cent).

Communication is one of the most important functions of management. Coaches of amateur and professional teams should know how to communicate successfully with players in order to maximize individual and team performance. That is why it is important for the coaches to know how to overcome the problems that occur during the communication process with the players.

Even most of the coaches are realizing the importance of effective communication; this research points out the main communication problems between coaches and players and suggests methods of improving the communication process.

Coaches as leaders of sports teams should identify the causes of conflict between the athletes and handle conflict effectively. The aim of this study was to examine the methods and ways coaches use to handle conflict in professional teams in Greece. The sample consisted of 42 professional football‐soccer, basketball and volley ball coaches, which were surveyed using questionnaires. Using the descriptive statistics and the one‐way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), it was found that: a) coaches are using five styles in order to manage conflict, and b) the most effective styles that can resolve team conflicts are the collaborating style, the compromising style and the avoiding style and the least effective styles from those suggested are the competing style and the accommodating style.

Coaches leave an indelible mark on all their athletes by striving to exemplify the highest moral character, behaviour and leadership. Coaching is said to be as much an art as a science, and demands creativity and individual interpretation of people and situations. The aim of this study was to present the educational system for training coaches in Greece.

The study is based on a review of the literature and Greek sports legislation.

It was found that the occupation of coaching can be practised in Greece by: graduates of the five departments of Physical Education and Sports Science; holders of a certificate or diploma from coaching schools in foreign countries accredited by the Greek Centre of Sport Research and Technology; and holders of a certificate or diploma from special schools set up by the General Secretariat for Sport. The results showed significant differences regarding the institution which issue coaching diplomas, duration of coach training periods and source of the official and legal licence given.

The study provides useful information on the Greek system of training and educating coaches, the duration of their studies, the category, and the teaching staff.

Examines the administrative responsibilities of a coach in Greece. Uses personal experiences, review of literature and interviews to obtain data for this study. Finds that coaches in Greece usually give emphasis on the acquisition of technical knowledge. Recommendations focus on the necessity of the five functions of management (planning, organizing, staffing, leading, controlling) to the effectiveness of the team.

The development and promotion of sports is being carried out through both school sports and non‐school sports or sports associations. Seeks to investigate these two methods using the variables of participation, expenditure, sports installations and human power. Examines the advantages and disadvantages of the two systems. Using the above mentioned variables, finds that European countries, including Greece, indicate lower priority for school sport than the USA. Recommends financial and legal considerations for improving the status of school sports in Greece.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate issues relevant to service quality and propose a conceptual model addressing the convictions held by consumers in relation to the service quality of sport services as regards spectators and their influence on sport consumption.

A quantitative method was used for the purpose of this study and 1,643 questionnaires were gathered and analyzed. The current research intended to employ an integrated service quality model within the scope of sport spectating. The model included five fundamental factors and they were examined in association with the behavioral intentions that spectators have. By combining all these factors and aspects, it was attempted to shape consumers’ general perception regarding quality in service. The model of the research considers quality in service to be a hierarchical construct comprising many dimensions and it is observed that service quality can be classified into five factors, all of which can be defined by a variety of corresponding sub-factors.

The outcomes showed that four of the suggested factors regarding quality (i.e. game quality, augmented service quality, interaction quality and outcome quality) had an important as well as favorable influence on sport consumption.

The empirical evidence for this research is derived from one specific professional sport event (European Basketball League) and spectators who took part were from Greece. Future research could use a wider sample of sport events and the participation of spectators from various countries is necessary before such findings are generalized.

The present research provides a contemporary analysis of factors influencing sport spectators anticipated quality and their influence on sport consumption.

This study seeks to examine the moderating role of team identification regarding the relationship between service quality and repurchase intentions among spectators of professional sports.

Quantitative data are collected from a questionnaire survey of 257 spectators attending a professional soccer game in Greece. Multiple regression analyses are used to assess the relationships among the constructs of service quality, repurchase intentions, and team identification.

Team identification is shown to moderate the relationship between service quality and repurchase intentions among spectators at this professional sports event. Both overall service quality and two specific service‐quality dimensions (“responsiveness” and “reliability”) are found to be positively associated with repurchase intentions only among respondents with low and medium team identification. No relationship is found between service quality and repurchase intentions among those with high team identification.

Managers of professional sports events who wish to increase attendances by improvements in service quality should first segment their customers according to degree of team affiliation. They should then design their service offerings specifically to meet the service‐quality expectations of sports fans with medium or low team identification.

The study provides valuable empirical evidence of the moderating role of team identification with regard to the relationship between service quality and repurchase intentions among consumers of professional sports events.